1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image display apparatus and an imaging apparatus having the same, an image processing method, and an image processing program.
2. Description of the Related Art
When imaging an object of interest using, e.g., a digital camera, the object of interest cannot be surely imaged unless this object of interest is present within the imaging range. Therefore, there has been known a technology that effects display for guiding a user so that an object of interest can be placed within the imaging range.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 4029174 discloses a camera adopting the following technology. That is, according to this technology, a camera extracts a part of a contour of an object of interest based on luminance distribution of an image that is obtained when the camera is aimed at a subject to be imaged, and it compares a position of the contour with a predetermined appropriate range to judge whether the composition is good. When the composition is determined to be poor, the camera outputs a warning and displays an indication of which one of up, down, left, and right directions the camera should be aimed in to provide the appropriate composition in a display unit provided separately from an image display apparatus.
Further, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2008-278480 discloses an imaging apparatus adopting the following technology. That is, according to this technology, the imaging apparatus displays a wide-angle image and an image, which shows an enlarged imaging range of a part of the wide-angle image, in parallel. This apparatus detects a position of an object of interest and informs a user of a direction the imaging apparatus should be aimed in so that the object of interest can be arranged within the enlarged image.
Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-129480 discloses an imaging apparatus adopting the following technology. That is, according to this technology, a moving image, which is being acquired, is displayed in a screen of a display unit. This apparatus traces movement of an object of interest and displays, e.g., a guide that shows a direction in which the object of interest, which has moved to the outside of the screen, is present when the traced object of interest deviates from the range of a screen of the display unit and has an arrow pattern and the like in the display unit while being superimposed on the moving image.